Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

With his late-stage Mind Realm cultivation, he was already considered a core member of the Demon Suppression Division, possessing considerable strength, especially considering he was a student of the Divine Martial Academy's Tian Shu Class.

Ye Hongyu immediately nodded, "Okay, you can move in with him tomorrow and officially start your job."

Upon returning to the academy that evening, Li Yuan immediately informed Wu Yu of the news. Wu Yu was pleased but also felt a little regretful.

He asked for the position of colleague with Li Yuan, but it was a pity that he could not fight alongside his other classmates.

The next morning, the two packed their belongings and said goodbye to Liu Hongyan at the entrance of Shenwu Academy.

Liu Hongyan remained calm, only offering a few words of advice: "Don't embarrass the academy when you get to the Demon Suppression Division. If you encounter any problems you can't solve, send a message back."

The two respectfully agreed, glancing at each other with a touch of melancholy, never expecting to graduate from here so soon.

Wu Yu was in a good mood throughout the journey: "I never thought I would be able to work under Lord Ye."

Li Yuan smiled and said, "You have a very easygoing personality. Entering the Demon Suppression Division is not the same as being in the academy. There are many more rules, so you'll have to be on your toes to deal with them."

"Don't worry!" Wu Yu patted his chest. "I, Wu Yu, will never let you down."

The two chatted and laughed, and soon arrived at the Demon Suppression Bureau. After completing the onboarding procedures and receiving their tokens and uniforms, a clerk led them to a secluded courtyard.

A young girl dressed in a light blue outfit was waiting at the door. When she saw the two of them, a smile appeared on her lips, and she quickly walked over.

"Senior Brother Li, you really are back."

Ji Fanghua is aloof and rarely shows her emotions, but she couldn't hide her excitement when she saw Li Yuan.

"I haven't been back long," Li Yuan said with a smile. "From now on, we're all comrades."

"Master asked me to make arrangements for you." Ji Fanghua looked Li Yuan up and down, and seeing that he looked well, she looked away. "Come with me."

She led the two across the courtyard to a row of side rooms at the back. "This room is yours. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you, Junior Sister Ji!" Wu Yu said with a grin.

Ji Fanghua glanced at him indifferently: "I'm not your junior sister."

Wu Yu was taken aback by her retort and awkwardly corrected himself, "Yes, yes, colleague Ji."

Ji Fanghua ignored him and showed the two of them around the layout of the courtyard before finally leading them to the main hall.

Ye Hongyu was sitting in the hall handling some business when she saw the three of them enter. She got straight to the point and asked, "Is everything arranged?"

"Yes, Master, everything has been arranged," Ji Fanghua replied.

"Hmm." Ye Hongyu nodded, turning her gaze to Li Yuan and the other two. "Now that you're under my command, there are some rules to clarify first. I don't have many formalities here. You can cultivate on your own during the week, and just be ready to serve whenever there's a mission."

Li Yuan nodded. It seemed they didn't need to go to the capital to patrol and guard like Chen Shuo did.

"Yes," the two immediately agreed.

Ye Hongyu waved her hand: "You may all leave now. Li Yuan, stay. I have something to say to you."

Ji Fanghua responded and left with Wu Yu, leaving only Ye Hongyu and Li Yuan in the hall.

Ye Hongyu took out a set of files from the table: "After the Dark Pavilion's activities in Chang'an were thwarted last year, most of its forces withdrew from the capital. But recently, as the war progresses, they have started to become restless again."

Li Yuan's expression hardened: "The Dark Pavilion is back?"

"It's not necessarily the Dark Pavilion." Ye Hongyu pushed the dossier in front of Li Yuan. "This is a summary of intelligence from the past month. The frequency of the demon race entering and leaving the capital has increased significantly, and it seems that they are in contact with forces in the court."

Li Yuan took the case file and quickly glanced through it. The file recorded several cases, but those arrested were all minor figures, and there was no substantial progress.

"This matter involves some high-ranking officials in the imperial court, and the internal forces of the Demon Suppression Bureau are also intricately intertwined, inseparable from the imperial court."

Ye Hongyu frowned and said, "Therefore, I need to employ new people to investigate this case. This matter is top secret, and you only need to report to me."

Li Yuan felt a chill run down his spine. Judging from Ye Hongyu's words, even the Demon Suppression Division could not be completely trusted.

"Understood." He closed the file and nodded solemnly.

Ye Hongyu clapped her hands, and a man in his thirties walked in. He was broad-shouldered, with wide ears, and a burly build.

"This is Han Kuo, he's been with me for many years," Ye Hongyu introduced. "He's very familiar with the situation in the capital. He'll be taking care of you for a while."

Li Yuan stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Han Kuo: "Brother Han, please take care of me in the future."

Han Kuo glanced at him and nodded in response, his attitude neither warm nor cold, as if it were business.

Ye Hongyu waved her hand, and the two tactfully took their leave.

Li Yuan followed Han Kuo out of the main hall, through several corridors, and arrived at an entrance leading underground. The guard at the entrance simply nodded to Han Kuo and let them through.

The two walked down the stone steps for a quarter of an hour, and found themselves in a rather large dungeon.

The prison held many criminals, including humans and demons. The cell doors were protected by runes, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

"This is the Demon Suppression Division's prison," Han Kuo explained as they walked. "The upper floors hold ordinary criminals, while the lower floors hold serious offenders. If you need to interrogate a prisoner, you must first register at the clerk's office and obtain an interrogation warrant before you can come down."

Li Yuan listened and nodded, noticing a subtle condescending scrutiny in Han Kuo's tone, which made him quite uncomfortable.

However, he didn't say anything. He was a newcomer, and this kind of situation was quite common in the workplace.

Han Kuo led him into a torture chamber, where various torture instruments were shocking to behold. Dark brown bloodstains remained on the walls. A man covered in wounds was chained to a rack, his head hanging low, barely breathing.

"This man is the son of the steward of Minister Sun's residence." Han Kuo walked to the rack, picked up a basin of cold water, and splashed it on the man's face. "Half a month ago, he met with someone who appeared to be a demon in a tavern in the east of the city, and our people caught him red-handed."

"But after half a month of interrogation, he insisted that he was just an acquaintance of the other party and did not know that he was a demon."

The man on the rack was awakened by the splash of cold water, letting out a painful groan. He raised his head, revealing a swollen, bruised face, and pleaded desperately, "I really don't know... please, please let me go..."

Han Kuo ignored him and turned to Li Yuan: "Minister Sun has sent people over several times to tell us to release the person, saying it was just a misunderstanding and that if we can't find any clues during the interrogation, we will have no choice but to release him."

"Now that this case has been transferred to you, you will be in charge of the trial."

As Han Kuo spoke, he stepped aside with his hands in his sleeves, a cold glint in his eyes. Li Yuan immediately understood; Han Kuo was trying to intimidate him.

He nodded, not rushing to use torture, but walked to the rack, squatted down, and looked the other person in the eye.

"What's your name?"

"...Sun...Sun Fu."

"Sun Fu," Li Yuan sighed, "I know you're suffering. You've been locked up for half a month and interrogated every day. I want to help you, but it's a fact that you made contact with the demons. If you can't give a reasonable explanation, I can't let you go."

A glimmer of hope flashed in Sun Fu's eyes: "Sir, I am truly innocent. I met that person at the casino. I was just there for a drink. Who would have thought he was actually a demon in disguise?"

"If that's the case, I believe you."

Li Yuan nodded and turned to Han Kuo: "I've finished the interrogation."